The First Burn: When you first light your candle, ensure it burns long enough to ensure the top layer of wax completely melts. This will take between 1-4 hours depending on the surface area of your container and will help your wax to burn evenly for the rest of its ‘life’ – if you don’t burn it to the edge of the glass then the wax ‘remembers’ how far it has burned to and will never burn beyond this distance. If you’ve ever had candles that ‘tunnel’ and only burn a little of the wax, creating a massive rim of unused candle, then this is why. If you ensure your first burn is perfect then not only will you minimise wax wastage, but keep your candle looking pretty until the very end.

Trim Your Wick: If you leave the wick long as the wax burns it not only cause excess soot and potentially cause the wax itself to be dirtied, but for the wick to become extremely hot and dangerous. Candles have been known to actually break before because they’ve simply burned too hot, as well as labels melting off and ruining the aesthetic of my expensive treat, so trimming your wick after every use is a great habit to get into.

Blow It Out: It’s always a good idea to keep burning time within three or four hours. This will ensure you’re able to cool the candle, trim the wick and prevent overheating of the glass container. If you keep a candle burning all night long, there’s a strong probability it will start generating unwanted soot and giving off a bit of stink. Keep an eye on how your candles are performing and if you need to blow the flame out and give it a while, then don’t be scared to do so.

Last Half Inch: If, like us, you’re keen to get every last moment from your candles then you may not know that it’s recommended to leave the last half inch in the jar. Burning to the very bottom can cause the glass to become extremely hot, potentially causing damage to the surface underneath and even causing burns if you try to pick it up or move it. The last little bit in the jar will never burn effectively either, as the wick will often be damaged beyond effective burning.

Freeze It: One of the best tips we've ever been given is to pop your used candle into the freezer, leaving for 24hrs before taking it out. The freezing temperatures help to reduce the size of the wax, making it super easy to pop out that unused last half inch and wash out the beautiful container. Whether you then use it to store your cosmetics, or pop a tea light inside to keep the illusion of a full candle, or have it refilled by us is up to you!